pH of Common Homemade Rinses
This post relates to a recent post about pH and your hair . It's best to stay between pH 4.5 and 7 under most circumstances. Outside these limits of pH 4.5 and 7, hair is far more vulnerable to damage because it may swell rapidly and take the acid or base (alkali) into the hair, beneath the cuticle and this may damage proteins. It certainly removes some oils. Homemade rinses are a fun, simple way to solve hair problems or try out ideas. But acids and bases on hair can be damaging. The more resilient your hair (the lower the porosity), the less damaging a homemade rinse can be - but then again exposure to the wrong pH is one cause of hair damage. Most hair can withstand a slightly too-low or too-high pH for brief exposures. But if your hair is bleached, damaged, or otherwise especially vulnerable - even brief exposures to pH extremes can have lasting effects. The treatments: Citric acid: Excellent rinse for helping reduce chlorine odor after swimming and to reduce hard water prob...